Tie plate



May 15,1928.

E. H. BELL TIE PLATE Filed Dec. 30. 1927 v fizz/en for. Ida/(In E56 1 C Patented May 15, 1928.

UNITED STATES EDWIN H. BELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TIE PLATE.

Application filed December 30, 1927. Serial No. 243,573.

This invention relates to tie plates and more particularly to the type of plate shown and described in Letters Patent No. 1,587,- 751, issued to lVilliam S. Boyce, on June 8th,1926.

The object of the invention is to produce a tie plate which shall be lighter in weight than tie plates of corresponding dimensions and of the same general type now in use, the efiiciency and strength of which shall in no wise be impaired by reason of the reduction in the weight thereof.

The object stated is accomplished by the production of the herein shown and described tie plate, in which metal is distributed in a novel manner, and the form and arrangement of the parts carefully correlated to produce the desired result.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal,.side elevation of a tie plate embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the plate, but on a smaller scale than Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bot-tom plan view of the same.

Figure 4 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken in the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to that form of the invention which I have chosen to illustrate in the drawings, the plate is provided with a top rail bearing surface 5 and a transversely extending rail abutting shoulder 6. The rail bearing surface 5 extends from the shoulder 6 toward the other end of the plate to a line indicated at 7. Between the shoulder 6 and the margin 7 of the rail bearing surface 5, the top of the plate is provided with two transversely extending grooves 8 and 9, which are spaced apart by a relatively narrow, transversely extending portion of the rail bearing surface indicated at 5. The combined widths of the grooves 8 and 9. is preferably equal to about one-half of the aggregate widths of the rail bearing surfaces 5 and 5, between the shoulder 6 and margin 7 thereof, and said grooves are preferably of the depth and contour indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1 and by the sectional view, Figure i.

In each of the grooves 8 and 9 are a plurality of parallel, arcuate surfaces 10 extending transversely of the grooves and longitudinally of the plate, said arcuate surfaces intersecting to form a plurality of ribs 11.,

The lowermost portions of the arcuate surfaces 10 form the bottoms of the grooves 8 and 9, and the ribs 11 are in a plane slightly below the rail bearing surfaces 5 and 5 While these ribs 11 may be in the same plane as said rail bearing surfaces, if desired, such an arrangement would require slightly more metal than does the construction shown, without adding to the efliciency of the plate. The ends of the arcuate surfaces 10 curve upwardly and outwardly as indicated at 12 to form an arch-like construction between the ends of the move surfaces 10 and the rail bearing sur aces 5 and 5. The efiect of the construction described is to largely compensate for the elimination of metal from the top of the plate and to produce an unusually light and efiicient tie plate.

The bottom of the plate is cut away at each end as indicated at 13, and is recessed in its median portion to form the transversely flat, longitudinally arched surface 14. Between each end surface 13 and the median surface 14 are relatively narrow, transversely extending initial bearing surfaces 15, provided with a blunt tie engaging rib 16. The major portion of the arched surface 14 is higher than the major portion of the re cessed ends 13, and said arched section is reinforced with a pluralit of ribs 17 which extend longitudinally of the plate bottom across said median surface and merge into the initial bearing surfaces 15 adjacent the transverse ribs 16. The parts 15 and 16 are beneath the edges of the rail flanges.

The reinforcing ribs 17 are widest and deepest midway between their ends and gradually become narrower and of less depth toward the points 18. The form of the rib 17 is such that the elimination of metal in the plate bottom is not substantially detrimental so far as the strength and efficiency of the plate is concerned, and the depth and width of the ribs midway of the plate and particularly beneath the grooves 8 and 9 are such as to compensate for the elimination of metal from the top of the plate, and to reinforce the recessed portions.

It will be understood that the eatest strain on a tie plate is at those points heneath the rail flange edges, namely, beneath the parts 6 and 7, which in the present plate are just above the initial bearing surfaces 15, which are well adapted to receive this strain; and that the reduction in weight is accomplished by the elimination of metal from those parts of the plate intermediate these strain receiving areas.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tie plate having its bottom median and end portions cut away and separated by relatively narrow, initial tie bearing stir-- faces, and the rail bearing portion of the top of the plate being grooved transversely intermediate the edges of said rail bearing surface.

2. A tie plate having its bottom median and end portions cut away and separated by relatively narrow, initial tie bearing surfaces, the rail bearing portion of the top of the-plate being grooved transversely intermediate the edges of said rail bearing surface, said grooves having a plurality of arcuate surfaces and intersecting ribs extending longitudinally of the plate and trans rersely of said grooves.

3. A tie plate having its bottom median and end portions cut away and separated by relatively narrow, initial tie bearing surfaces, the rail bearing ortion of the top of the plate being grooved transversely intermediate the edges of said rail bearing surface, said grooves having a plurality of arcuate surfaces and intersecting ribs extending longitudinally of the plate and transversely of said grooves, in a plane below said rail bearing surface.

4. A tie plate having its bottom median and end portions cut away and separated by relativelynarrow, initial tie bearing surfaces, the rail bearing portion of the top of the plate being grooved transversely intermediate the edges of said rail bearing surface, and having a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs in said median surface.

5. A tie plate having its bottom median and end portions cutaway and separated by relatively narrow, initial tie bearing surfaces, the rail bearing portion of the top of the plate being grooved transversely intermediate the edges of said rail bearing surface, said grooves having a plurality of arcuate surfaces and intersecting ribs extending longitudinally of the plate and transversely of said grooves, and a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs in said median surface.

6. A tie plate having its bottom median and end-portions cut away and separated by relatively narrow, initial tie bearing surfaces, the rail bearing portion of the top of the plate being grooved transversely intermediate the edges of said rail bearing surface, and a pluralit of longitudinally extending ribs in sai median surface, said ribs being widest and deepest midway of their length and gradually tapered toward said initial bearing surfaces.

7. A tie plate having its median and end portions cut away and separated by relatively narrow, initial tie bearing surfaces extending transversely of the plate, a tie engaging rib on each of, said initial bearing surfaces, a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs on said median recessed surface, a rail abutting shoulder on top of the plate, a rail bearing surface, a plurality of transversely extending grooves separated by a relatively narrow portion of said rail bearing surface, arcuate surfaces in the grooves intersecting to form ribs, the ends of said arcuate surfaces merging into said rail earing surfaces.

8. A tie plate having its median and end portions cut away and separated by relatively narrow, initial tie bearin surfaces extending transversely of the p ate, a tie engaging rib on each of said initial bearing surfaces, a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs on said median recessed surface, a rail abutting shoulder on top of the plate, a rail bearing surface, a plurality of transversely extending grooves separated by a relatively narrow portion of said rail bearing surface, arcuate surfaces in the grooves intersecting to form ribs, the. ends of said arcuate surfaces merging into said rail bearing surfaces.

9. A-tie plate having its bottom median and end portions cut away, relatively narrow, initial tie bearing surfaces separating said -cut away portions, and located beneath the edges of the flanges of the rail to be placed on the plate, said median recessed portion being arched longitudinally of the plate, a rail abutting shoulder and a rail bearing surface on top of the plate, a plurality of transversely extending grooves in the top of the plate intermediate the side margins of the rail bearing surface, and a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs depending from the arched, median bottom surface transversely of said top grooves.

In testimony. that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I ailix my signature, this 27th day of December, 1927.

EDWIN H. BELL. 

